Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

11 days that will define Arsenal’s season

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So 20 games in, and we are top the league, say we are top the league.

However, whilst none of us would turn down being in the position we are in, there is still an air of frustration around silly dropped points over the last 8 weeks (WBA, Norwich, Southampton – although Man City have dropped similar), and a feeling that everything could come crashing down at any point.

And it is the second point that strikes fear into the heart. The fact that it could all come crashing down.

Many an Arsenal fan are scared of what has gone on in recent seasons previous.

In 2002/03 when we were 8 points clear in March, only to go on a run of 2 wins in 7 games.

Fast forward 5 years to 2007/08 when again, we sat top going into February. Then that awful game against Birmingham where Eduardo had his leg broken by Martin Taylor and Gael Clichy (with assistance from the referee) proceeded to see us concede an equaliser in the 95th minute. What proceeded was a run of 1 win in 8. Another title thrown away.

And finally 2013/14. Top of the league for much of the season, by 5 points at one point. A 5-1 defeat to Liverpool at the beginning of February saw us go on a run of 2 wins in 9.

3 titles thrown away as winter turned to spring.

The next 11 days is key to our title challenge.1234

Tonight we play Liverpool. The scene of that horrific defeat in 2014 which saw us collapse into oblivion. 4-0 down in the opening 20 minutes. The BBC described the result as making “a mockery of Arsenal’s status as Premier League leaders”. Hopefully history does not repeat itself. Liverpool are certainly not the team that they were 2 years ago, and you feel that Arsenal are certainly stronger.

Next up, another nightmare trip for Arsenal. Away to Stoke City.

A return to the scene of “get out whilst you can Joel” as Arsenal found themselves 3-0 down at half time, losing 3-2, and Arsene Wenger getting some disgraceful abuse from so called Arsenal fans at Stoke station.

Stoke City away has replaced Bolton Wanderers away as our nightmare tie. Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2008, Arsenal have played Stoke 8 times at The Britannia (including 1 FA Cup tie), winning just once. 5 defeats, 2 draws complete the set of results. It is certainly Arsenal field of broken dreams.

And then we follow Stoke away up with Chelsea. Just 5 wins in our last 29 games against the West London side. It is not a great record.

Get through the next 3 games without defeat, and our title challenge is well and truly on course (obviously not if we draw all 3). Come out with 0 points from the 3 games, and it will pretty much end our title race.

The next 11 days will define our season.

Keenos

Should Arsenal be targeting John Stones?

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So yesterday a question was asked to many (and others). That question I then put in the public realm on Twitter, just to see what people’s responses were. The question was a simple one.

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/686520552455041024

Three names seemed to get more mentions than any other. John Stones, Riyad Mahrez & Romelu Lukaku.

The last two, I would have no problem with the club targeting. However, John Stones, I just do not get it.

He is the current darling of the English sporting media. He can do no wrong. The next superstar youngster. Built up as a world class player. Despite having not really done much.

And that is my issue with John Stones, what has he actually done to justify people talking about a £40+million transfer fee?

21 years old, he has played 63 Premier League games, 3 times in Europe (the Europa League) and 7 times for England.

A lot of people compare him and his potential transfer to that of Rio Ferdinand when he joined Manchester United for £29.1 million. But there is a big difference.

In 2002, when Manchester United signed Ferdinand, he was 23 years old, had played over 180 times in the Premier League, over 20 England caps, and had played in a Champions League semi final. The player Manchester United signed was the real deal. A proven performer. Not yet the finished article, but close to it.

What you are getting in John Stones is the potential. He is nowhere near the player Ferdinand was 13 years ago, and whilst he has the potential to get their, it is a lot of money to pay on potential. He is completely unproven.

My other issue with him is when you ask people why they rate him, they reply “he is really good on the ball.” I might be old fashioned, but I want the best quality of my defender to be that he is a good defender. Being good on the ball means nothing if they can not defend. Give me a John Terry over a David Luiz any day of the week.

It is a frustration of mine. People ranting defenders for reasons other than defending. Joleen Lescott was rated highly because he scored a few goals. Leighton Baines because he has a great cross, takes a good corner and a good free kick.

Yes, these players might be good for your Fantasy Football team, but in the real world, they are average, as they are not great defenders. Give me Nacho Monreal above Leighton Baines. Or a few years back, Bacary Sagna over Dani Alves. A defenders job is to defend, not to be good on the ball, score goals, etc.

If they are good on the ball, or can contribute goals, then that is a bonus. It is a secondary attribute. Defending is the primary attribute.

And for me, at this moment in time, Stones is rated for his ability on the ball, not his defending.

You only have to look at Everton’s position in the table to understand their problems. Currently sitting 11th. A very low position for a side with so many ‘talented’ players (this raises another question as to whether Roberto Martinez is the most overrated manager in the league). There problem is clear, they concede too many goals. Which is confusing, as they have the (alleged) greatest young centre back in the game in John Stones. With the best right back in the league in Seamus Coleman and best left back in Leighton Baines.

Maybe all 3 are just vastly overrated?

When you look at John Stones’ price tag of £40+million it highlights the premium you pay for English players. For less than that, you could go and get the likes of Matts Hummels. An experienced, proven, better defender.

And anyway, Mertesacker & Koscielny are both better player’s.

So for John Stones, it is a no thanks from me.

Keenos

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain CENTRAL to Arsenal’s future

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For a while now I have been massively critical of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

He is now 22, and for me, he has not improved as a player from when he first joined the club. He still makes the same mistakes he made when he first came to Arsenal in a £12million deal from Southampton.

He still always looks a yard off the pace, a stone overweight and tries to take on one player too many. People used to have a go at Theo Walcott for having “no footballing brain” but at 22, Walcott was far superior than Chamberlain. And the stats prove it.

For a player so talented, or reportedly talented, Chamberlain does not score enough, or create enough. 6 goals in 95 Premier League games is just not good enough.

I saw a stat before this weekend that Chamberlain has never played more than 5 games in a row for Arsenal. This perhaps highlights his issues. He has never stayed fit enough, or inform enough, to get a run in the team. Likewise, he has never been given the chance to get the run in the team to build his confidence up and feel relaxed within the side.

This season, Chamberlain’s form / injuries / weight has been so poor that (along with his own form) he has fallen behind Joel Campbell in the reckoning for a first team place.

Of course, Campbell is the perfect example about how to not judge a player. 6 months ago he would have been on many peoples ‘deadwood’ list. Now he is an important squad member. So we should be careful not to write of Chamberlain.

Campbell got his chance, incidentally, when Chamberlain picked up yet another injury – he has had 9 in 3 years. He got his head down, worked hard, and kept it simple. Chamberlain could do with doing the same.

At the weekend, we saw Chamberlain’s best game in a long while for Arsenal. They key for me was that he was playing in the middle of the park. He just looked so more comfortable than out on the wing.

His best performance to date was now nearly 4 years ago, in a Champions League performance against AC Milan. Remembering back to that game, Oxlade-Chamberlain played in the middle of the park. He was dynamic and he was direct.

At the time, people will talking him up. “A gem of a player” Marco van Basten said. There was talk that he could be the new Steven Gerrard. With his dynamism, passing ability and shooting from distance.

Since that performance. He has stalled. And when he plays on the wing, he looks average.

For England he always looks a much better player. Looking through where he plays for his country, it always seems to be in the middle of the park, or on the left with the licence to drift in. When he plays wide right, he just does not look good enough.

He is just more comfortable in the middle of the park.

The problem at Arsenal is we have a lot of central midfielders. Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla. All are about him in the pecking order. But he offers something different to all 4 of those with his ability to run with the ball. With Cazorla slowly coming to the end of his career, Chamberlain is perhaps the closest to being his replacement.

There is definitely a good player in Chamberlain waiting to break out. He is two footed, has some pace, and can beat a man with ease – a commodity that is rare in football. Jose Mourinho always talks about transitional players. Who can take the ball comfortable through areas of the pitch. From defence into midfield, midfield into attack, breaking the lines. Oxlade-Chamberlain certainly falls into this category. He just needs the chance. The luck. To get a run in the centre of the park.

Keenos